Hosiery finishing board



Juy 7, i970 o. FREGEOLLE HOSIERY FINISHING BOARD Filed Sept. 22. 1967INYENTOR. OSCAR FREGEOLLE ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,519,175HOSIERY FINISHING BOARD Oscar Fregeolle, Hickory, N.C., assignor to J.P. Stevens Sz Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Dela- Wll'eFiled sept. 22, 1967, ser. No. 669,758 Int. el. D066 5/00 U.S. Cl.223-475 4 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A hosiery lfinishing boardcomprising a flat plate having a welt area ajoining a downwardly taperedsymmetrically edged lower portion termintaing in an arcuate-shapedbottom; a first group of markings located in said Welt area fordesignating various leg lengths; and a second group of markings locatedin said tapered lower portion for designating various foot sizes.

This invention relates to a ladys hosiery finishing form. In one aspectthis invention relates to a novel method for boarding ladies stockings.In another aspect it relates to a metal forni for boarding hip-lets,panty hose, and ladies sheer seamless stockings.

In forming so-called seamless hosiery, that is, hosiery which istubular-knit on a circular knitting machine (as distinguished fromso-called fullfashioned hosiery, which is knit in the form of a atstrip, the edges of which are subsequently sewn together by a seam whichextends from the toe, along the bottom of the foot portion and up theback of the leg portion), it has heretofore been customary to produce afull range of sizes by knitting substantially straight cylindrical tubesat a high production rate and thereafter closing the bottom of the tubeby sewing. The closed tubes are then boarded (before or after dyeing asis well known in the art) on conventional forms corresponding to thevarious sizes to shape the tube into a conventional stocking shape;i.e., a relatively wide knee area tapering down through the calf area to-a relatively narrow ankle area and terminating in a foot shape with adistinct heel pocket.

Likewise, ladies sheer seamless stretchable stockings have also becomequite popular in the last few years because of their ability to readilyconform to the leg of the 'wearer and fit several leg and foot sizes.These stockings are produced with reciprocatorily knit heel pockets andwith or without reciprocatorily knit toe pockets which are closed bylooping or sewing. These stockings are also subsequently boarded onforms otherwise similar to the conventional boarding form except for theprovision of a reduced size foot or so-called club foot. This reducedsize or club foot is necessary in order to prevent excessive stretchingwhen the stocking is drawn on the boarding form and thus, elimination ofthe stretchable nature of the stocking foot when subjected toheat-setting temperatures during boarding. Even with these precautions,however, it is still necessary to knit and board these stretch stockingsin three different ksizes (usually small, medium and large), in order tocover the complete normal stocking size range of 81/2 to 111/2 since theboarding operation nevertheless results in setting the fabric in stretchcondition to limit the amount of strechability in the foot area.

As one solution to these problems, Clyde A. Berry provided a method offorming and finishing ladies sheer seamless stretchable tube stockingsin a manner so that the stockings could be produced in a single size butnevertheless having suicient stretchability to fit the entire normalrange of leg and foot sizes. The stocking of Berry is described in aPat. No. 3,310,966 issued on Mar. 28,

1967. Berry relied on providing a tube stocking, which was characterizedby the absence of the usual knitted or shaped heel projection, withsubstantially uniform stretch characteristics or stitched distortionthroughout the heel and foot area of the stocking which caused thefabric to stretch and cling or conform to the foot of the wearer whenWorn in a substantially uniform manner without wrinkles, bulges, oruncomfortable tightness.

This solution of Berry did not solve the problem for non-stretchabletube type stockings nor did it provide a uniformity of stitch in thecalf and knee area.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus for shaping and finishing ladies sheer stockings and garmentson a single boarding form in all leg and foot lengths to fit the entirerange of normal sizes;

Another object of this invention is to eliminate the need for a rightand left stocking to form a panty hose or hip-let garment;

Another object of this invention is to provide for improving the pairingand inspecting of the stockings due to entire heel and toe areas beingvisible on either side of the boarded stocking.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a boarding formcapable of providing a pair of hip-let stockings formed without a heeland a so-called fish mouth toe, which are completely interchangeable andmay be worn on either leg without everting the stockings;

A still further object is to provide a method for simplifying theremoval of the stocking from the boarding form so as to materiallyreduce the exertion and fatigue of the operator thereby resulting ingreater production;

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same become better understood byreference tothe following detailed description which is to be consideredin connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

lFIG. 1 is a rear elevation of a seamless stocking blank in flattenedcondition, knit with a run-down heel and having the lower end closedwith an arcuate seam;

FIG. 1A is a perspective View of a seamless stocking in flattenedcondition and having the lower end closed with an under-the-toe seam;

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of a nonstretch stocking of the presentinvention in attened condition;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of a metal board showing the foot sizes andleg length markings;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hip-lets leg after cutting out thefabric for the U-shaped inner edge that extends down along the groinalong the width of the crotch and up around the buttocks;

FIG. 5 is a section view taken along line 5 5 of FIG. 3 showing the toeseam relief for the under-the-toe and fish mouth combination of my novelboarding form.

Brieliy the subject invention comprises a hosiery finishing board havinga flat plate, said plate being divided into an upper zone A; an uppersection containing a welt area divided substantially equally into awelt, knee and thigh portion, and a downwardly tapered symmetricallyedged lower portion terminating in an arcuate-shaped bottom; a firstgroup of markings located in said upper section for designating variousleg lengths, and a second group of markings located in said taperedlower portion for designating various foot sizes whereby stockings ofall sizes may be boarded on this one boarding form.

The stocking blanks shown in FIGS. 1, lA, 2 and 4 are knit on a circularknitting machine. A conventional turned welt 10 and shadow Welt 11 arepreferably knit of heavy denier multifilament nonstretchable nylon yarnof about 40 denier. Then a substantially tapered tubular portion 13 ofstretch or nonstretch nylon is knit.

At the heel area 15 a heel reinforcing yarn is knit such as 40-denier toprovide reinforcement.

The lower end or toe section 17 is closed by an arcuate line of overedgeseam extending across the toe in section 17 as indicated by dotted line19 in FIG. 1.

FIG. shows a lip portion 23 of the finishing board which extends apredetermined distance ranging from $46 to 1/s of an inch from thearcuate line 32. This provides a relief area for the toe seam 19 (fishmouth).

The stocking blank of FIG. 1 is finished in the usual manner, includingdyeing and hardening. Boarding may take place prior to or after dyeing,or the stockings may be both preboarded and final boarded if desired.However, with respect to FIG. 3, a novel boarding form, without theusual heel projection, is utilized to shape and form the stocking of thepresent invention.

For convenience of describing my novel boarding form, reference lineshave been applied in FIG. 3. The portion A shapes the welt, knee andthigh portion of a stocking, while the lower tapered portion B isadapted to shape the parts of a stocking fitting the foot, heel, ankleand calf of the wearer. Both the inside and outside edges of the novelboarding form are symmetrical. By making both edges identical it will bereadily seen that any stocking boarded on this form can be usedinterchangeably for right or left stockings. A first group of indices 33located in the A portion indicates the various leg lengths and a secondgroup of indices 21 located in the foot portion B indicates the footsizes. The heel area 15 shown in FIG. 1 is positioned at one of thesepredetermined foot markings so as to properly position the heel for thatsize foot. Thus it can readily be seen that a stocking can be finishedto fit various leg and foot sizes and be processed on one boarding form.The lower portion B provides a heelless portion adapted to fit the foot,heel and ankle of the wearer.

Due to the fiat nature of the boarding form, heat-set creases are formedalong the outside and inside edges of the stocking during the boardingoperation. These sides are readily discernible in the finished stockingand may serve as an aid in properly positioning the stocking on the leg.

The boarded stockings of this invention are characterized by theimproved appearance of the seamed (fish mouth) toe and the run-down heelarea.

FIG. 1A wherein corresponding parts described in FIG. 1 have been givenprimed reference numbers represents another embodiment of a stockingwhich can be shaped on my boarding form, these stockings having aunder-thetoe seam. In this embodiment parts numbered 11', 13' and 15'correspond to like parts shown in FIG. 1 described hereinabove. Inboarding, the under-the-toe seam 25 is positioned along the center lineof the toe seam relief 26 (see FIG. 3). This under-the-toe seam 25extends back from the arcuate edge 27 a distance suicient to shape agetas type toe. Numeral 30 in FIG. 1A represents the top portion of thetoe area and numeral 29 represents the sole portion of the toe area withthe seam extending from 27 to 40.

In a co-pending application bearing Ser. No. 593,895 entitled LadiesStockings filed in the Patent Office on Nov. 14, 1966 now issued as U.S.Pat. No. 3,362,029, there is described a garment which is adapted tocompletely cover the legs of the wearer and which includes support meanson the upper ends for encirculing the lower trunk portion of the body tomaintain the stockings in position. This garment has been designed as ahip-let. Heretofore it has been necessary to make a right and leftstocking for the hip-let garment as they were not interchangeable. Withthe novel boarding form described hereinabove it will now be possible tomake reversible hip-let stockings.

As shown in FIG. 4, the hip-let stocking blank has a hip engagingportion 35 which will be cut away to provide an inner recess that isdefined by a substantially U- shaped inner edge. The hip engagingportion 35 connects with a thigh vengaging portion 37. The taperedtubular portion 39 has symmetrical inside and outside edges as describedhereinabove with respect to FIGS. 1-3. The tubular portion 39 is closedby an arcuate line extending across the toe section 31. It is seen thatthis construction enables the individual stockings in the hip-letconstruction to be reversible.

In addition, this novel boarding form will have utility in thefabrication of nonreciprocating stockings; reinforced heel-fiat andmicro stockings; torque stretch stockings; support stockings; junor missstockings; hip-let stockings, and the like.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that the invention may be practiced Otherwise than asspecifically described herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A hosiery finishing board comprising a substantially fiat platehaving an upper portion divided into a welt area, a thigh area, and aknee area; a lower portion adjoining said upper portion and beingdivided into a calf area, an ankle area, and a foot and toe area, saidlower portion terminating in an arcuate-shaped bottom; a first group ofmarkings located in said upper portion for designating various leglengths; and a second group of markings located in said lower portionfor designating various foot sizes; the sides of said fiat plate beingsubstantially symmetrically contoured in both the upper and lowerportions, said sides of the flat plate serving to shape the portions ofhosiery which fit along the sides of a wearers legs and feet.

2. A hosiery finishing board according to claim l-further including alip spaced a distance from said arcuateshaped bottom suicient forproviding a relief in said toe area.

3. A hosiery finishing board according to claim 1 further having a heelarea positioned a predetermined distance from said arcuate-shapedbottom.

4. A hosiery finishing board according to claim 1 having a cut-awayportion located substantially centrally in said toe area of a lengthsufficient to accommodate a getas toe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,636,651 4/ 1953 Tiers 223-752,661,877 12/ 1953 Albertson et al. 223-75 2,825,215 4/ 1958 Buckreus66-185 3,310,966 3/1967 Berry 66-178 3,356,272 12/ 1967 Berry 223-753,364,542 1/ 1968 Caldwell 223--75 X MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner G.V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner Pf3-1050 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 569CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 519, 175 Dated July 7 1970Inventor(s) O- Fregeolle It is certified that error appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebyCorrected as shown below:

Second line of the Abstract "ajoining" should read adjoining Column 3,line ll "hardening" should read boarding line 66, "encirculing" shouldread encircling Signed and sealed this 12th day of September 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GO'ITSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents

